Lightning Prospect Tracker

The Norfolk Admirals are coming off one of their most successful weekends of the season, having swept games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to claw to within two points of the Eastern Conference’s East Division lead.

On Friday and Saturday, the Admirals swept a two-game home series against the Adirondack Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers). Friday, Dustin Tokarski pitched a 17-save shutout to lead Norfolk to a 2-0 win over Adirondack. Norfolk’s leading scorer, Cory Conacher, registered assists on both goals. Recent Lightning callup Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Philip-Michael Devos were the Admirals’ two scorers, with recent Lightning callup Evan Oberg also chipping in an assist. Cory Conacher’s two goals in addition to three Admiral power-play tallies in the game’s opening 8:20 paced a 7-3 Norfolk win over Adirondack on Saturday.

The Admirals completed their perfect weekend by defeating the Midwest Division-leading Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes) on Sunday. Evan Oberg and Cory Conacher staked Norfolk to a 2-0 lead through two periods in Charlotte, and although the Checkers’ Bobby Sanguinetti busted Jaroslav Janus’ shutout bid with 1:43 remaining in the third period, Pierre-Cedric Labrie added an empty-net goal and the Admirals won 3-1.

Week Results

Friday, February 10: Adirondack Phantoms 0 at Norfolk Admirals 2

Saturday, February 11: Adirondack Phantoms 3 at Norfolk Admirals 7

Sunday, February 12: Norfolk Admirals 3 at Charlotte Checkers 1

Week Leaders

Goals: Conacher (3)

Assists:Seven players with (2)

Points: Conacher (5)

Plus/Minus Ashton/Kostka (+4)

Penalty Minutes:Panik/Labrie (9)

Wins:Tokarski (2)

Goals-Against Average: Janus (1:00)

Save Percentage: Janus (.971)

Shutouts: Tokarski (1)

Season Leaders

Goals: Conacher (28)

Assists: Barberio (35)

Points: Conacher (57)

Plus/Minus: Labrie (+25)

Penalty Minutes: Gudas (125)

Wins: Tokarski (21)

Goals-Against Average: Tokarski (2:43)

Save Percentage: Tokarski (.903)

Shutouts: Tokarski (3)

Notables

Cory Conacher leads the AHL with 28 goals and is third in the league with 57 points. He has a 12-point lead over Gustav Nyquist of the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings) for the rookie scoring lead. Conacher has 11 points on his current, eight-game point streak. Carter Ashton is 10th in rookie scoring with 34 points (18g, 16a) and Tyler Johnson is 13th with 31 points (16g, 15a).

Recent Lightning callup Trevor Smith is second on the Admirals in goals (19), assists (34) and points (53). He is sixth in the AHL in points.

Mark Barberio leads AHL defensemen with 41 points (6g, 35a) and is fourth overall in the league with 35 assists.

Dustin Tokarski is tied for second in the AHL with 21 wins. Yann Danis of the Oklahoma City Barons (Edmonton Oilers) also has 21 and Ben Bishop of the Peoria Rivermen (St. Louis Blues) has 22.

The Admirals are second in the league in goals scored with 178 (3.49 per game), which are two back of the Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals) for the league lead.

Norfolk has scored 178 goals and given up 142, with its +36 rating second in the AHL behind the Oklahoma City Barons’ (Edmonton Oilers) +41.

Upcoming Schedule:

Bolts Beyond the AHL

2011 Lightning first-round draft pick Vladislav Namestnikov had three assists in three games for the OHL’s London Knights this week. Namestnikov is second on the Knights in scoring with 62 points, which is tied for 16th in the Ontario Hockey League.

Florida Everblades left wing Alex Hutchings had a goal and two assists in two games this week. The Everblades went 1-0-1 and have a record of 23-20-2-4, which puts them in seventh place of the ECHL’s 12-team Eastern Conference.

Quebec Remparts defenseman Adam Janosik had two assists in two games this week.